Best films of 2017

The National Society of Film Critics agrees with CL Tampa on its review of Lady Bird, The Florida Project and others.

click to enlarge Willem Dafoe and Brooklynn Prince in The Florida Project. - Photo courtesy of A24
Photo courtesy of A24
Willem Dafoe and Brooklynn Prince in The Florida Project.

It's nice to find out that, instead of Facebook Fighting, the world agrees with you. And the world (OK, the National Society of Film Critics) agrees with us (OK, some of what we said — it's Monday, cut us some slack). They loved The Florida Project (reviewed by Kate Bradshaw), The Shape of Water (reviewed by Cathy Salustri) and a few other films every bit as much as we did.

click to enlarge MOTHER LOAD: Mothers and daughters are oil and water... and salt and pepper in Lady Bird. - Merie Wallace, courtesy of A24
Merie Wallace, courtesy of A24
MOTHER LOAD: Mothers and daughters are oil and water... and salt and pepper in Lady Bird.

NSFC named Lady Bird (reviewed by Cathy Salustri) Best Picture; its director, Greta Gerwig, Best Director. The screenplay won Best Screenplay and Laurie Metcalf wears the Best Supporting Actress crown for her this-could-be-my-mother role in Lady Bird. Saorise Ronan, who played the the titular Lady Bird, was a runner-up for Best Actress.

Daniel Kaluuya earned Best Actor for his role in Get Out (reviewed by John W. Allman); Jordan Peele's screenplay was a runner-up for Best Screenplay. 

The Shape of Water. - Fox Searchlight
Fox Searchlight
The Shape of Water.

Sally Hawkins won Best Actress for The Shape of Water; Frances McDormand was a runner-up for her performance in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (reviewed by David Warner). Michael Stuhlbarg was a runner-up for Best Supporting Actor for his work in The Shape of Water but Willem Dafoe claimed that honor for his curmudgeonly role in The Florida Project.

Margot Robbie in I, Tonya. - Neon
Neon
Margot Robbie in I, Tonya.

I Tonya is barely out but no one's shocked to see Allison Janney, who played Tonya Harding's... problematic... mother (reviewed by Ben Wiley), one of the runners-up for that same role.

There were others, so you may want to read the full list here


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Cathy Salustri

Cathy's portfolio includes pieces for Visit Florida, USA Today and regional and local press. In 2016, UPF published Backroads of Paradise, her travel narrative about retracing the WPA-era Florida driving tours that was featured in The New York Times. Cathy speaks about Florida history for the Osher Lifelong Learning...
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